Power systems such as, for example, large internal combustion engines burn hydrocarbon-based fuels or similar fuel sources to convert the chemical energy therein to mechanical energy that can be utilized to power an associated machine or application. Combustion of the hydrocarbon fuel may release or create several byproducts or emissions, such as nitrogen oxides (NOX), carbon monoxides and carbon dioxides (CO and CO2), and particulate matter. The quantity of some of these emissions that may be released to the environment may be subject to government regulations and environmental laws. Accordingly, manufacturers of such power systems may equip the system with an associated aftertreatment system to treat the emissions before they are discharged to the environment.
The aftertreatment system can be disposed in the exhaust channel of the power system and may include a unit or module through which the exhaust gasses may pass. The module may include one or more aftertreatment bricks that can change, chemically or physically, the composition of the exhaust gasses that encounter the bricks. Examples of aftertreatment bricks include catalysts that chemically alter the exhaust gasses and filters that can trap specific components of the exhaust gasses. In some embodiments, the aftertreatment brick may be permanently fixed to the module, for example, by welding or the like. However, some types of aftertreatment bricks may become depleted or deactivated after a period of use, or may become damaged due to the conditions in which they are used, and require replacement. Accordingly, in some aftertreatment systems the aftertreatment bricks may be removable.
An example of a system using removable aftertreatment bricks, in particular catalysts, is described in U.S. Pat. No. 7,919,052 (the '052 patent). The '052 patent describes a housing defining an opening that is part of a flow chamber and a catalyst that is disposed over the opening. To retain the catalyst in place over the opening, a bar is placed across one face of the catalyst perpendicular to the flow chamber. One end of the bar is anchored at the bottom of the flow chamber and the other end is fastened by a bolt-and-nut combination to a front plate at the upper portion of the housing. To remove the catalyst, the bar must be both unbolted from the housing and unanchored from the bottom of the flow channel. Moreover, the bolt-and-nut combination and the anchor may be oriented in different directions, complicating removal of the bar to access the catalyst.